Posted By Editor On October 7, 2010 @ 11:09 pm In Church News,Features,News | No Comments

KOCHI: “Voters may decide not to elect alcoholics to the local administration in the coming municipal and panchayat elections. The electorate shall exhibit a moral courage in this issue, although they are totally free to decide”, said the Catholicos Elect Metropolitan Paulose Mar Milithios. The Metropolitan was delivering his presidential address at the inauguration of the ‘Anti-Addiction Initiative’ of Malankara Orthodox Church, ‘U-Turn’. U-Turn is an initiative under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Empowerment of Malankara Church.

“House-wives and children shall join this initiative. They are the ones, who face maximum consequences of alcoholism. It is decided to initiate an active propaganda on this initiative in all schools and colleges run by the Orthodox Church as well, which will be with support from teachers”, added the Catholicos Elect.

Although law of the land can contribute positively in this line, law alone wouldn’t have the needed efficacy. Creating awareness into the consequences of this evil is more important. Educating the society is another aspect that one needs to look into to awake the society against alcoholism, continued Metropolitan Mar Milithios.

“A celebration without alcohol is becoming unimaginable to the Keralite society, which is the alarm on the snarling danger. Gender difference does not figure here at all and alcohol is becoming a status symbol in God’s own Land and it is against this social evil that we are fighting”, pointed out the Metropolitan.

“Our nation can be saved, only if the lost values and tradition are regained. Creating awareness against addiction is the need of today. Kerala is slowly getting filled with liquor shops. Prophet Muhammad had depicted alcohol as the enemy of humans. Model of Orthodox Church is highly imitable for the present society”, said the former Member of Indian Parliament Abdsamad Samadaani in his key note address.

Justice K. Surendra Mohan inaugurated the ‘Anti-Addiction Initiative’. Swami Purantharananda inaugurated the movie U-Turn, a film made by the Orthodox Church against addiction.